Rules Team Rulings – RTR 19/07/2018

Fellow Methuselahs,

To accompany the release of the Heirs to the Blood and Keepers of Tradition reprints, the following rule changes will be effective August 18, 2018 (as always, changes contained herein do not go into effect for sanctioned tournaments for 30 days.)

Rule change #1: Cold iron vulnerability
The traits “vulnerability” and “cold iron” have been dropped. Now, the weapons that previously had the trait cold iron explicitly inflict aggravated damage on Kiasyd. This means, for instance, that an Embrace created by a Kiasyd is affected by these weapons, but also that a Kiasyd that changes clan is no longer affected by them. Also, Draeven Softfoot is no longer affected by those weapons.
    Explanation: The “cold iron vulnerability” trait took a lot of space on each Kiasyd, reducing the design space for new abilities. At the same time, only a few weapons were interacting with this trait. We moved the vulnerability rule to the weapons.
    The affected cards are Banshee IronvailDaggerJoumlon´s Axe and Poker (click links to read the new card texts).

Rule change #2: Scarce
Scarce penalty is now based only on the number of scarce vampires of the same clan already in play you control. Updated rulebook text:
Scarce: When a Methuselah moves a scarce vampire from her uncontrolled region to her ready region during her influence phase, she must burn 3 pool for every other vampire of the same clan already in play she controls.
    Explanation: The Scarce trait imposes a deck building restriction that is interesting, but had also random side-effects when another player would be playing vampires of the same clan (whether that clan is popular or not, for instance a Nagaraja). The player that would be unlucky enough to play after the other would likely be penalized on a random basis (the seating order).

Rule clarification: Locking and entering combat after a successful block attempt
If an action is blocked, the blocking minion is locked and enters combat with the acting minion. Locking the blocking minion and entering combat happen simultaneously and are identified as the “block resolution”. Therefore, some cards have been reworded to make it clear when a blocking minion is locked but does not enter combat, and when a blocking minion is not locked and does not enter combat. This is a clarification of the existing rule and rulings.

Clarification and simplification
– Even though Shalmath has been errated not to refer to the research area anymore, the research area still exists. The cards Research and Development are still usable until further notice.
– For the same reason Safe Passage does not refer to powers anymore, even though powers still exist.

Card changes
a) Some mandatory effects becoming optional
Some reprinted cards were changed to make a mandatory beneficial bonus optional instead. For instance, Code of Samiel now reads:
Put this card in play. During your unlock phase, a Salubri antitribu you control can gain 1 blood. If a Salubri antitribu burns a ready vampire or sends a vampire to torpor in combat or as a (D) action, that Salubri antitribu can unlock after the end of the minion phase.
    The change for this card is twofold:
– make the Code of Samiel similar to hunting grounds for less disparity
– make rollbacks easier to handle for players and judges
Previously, if a player forgot to gain a blood or to unlock a vampire with the Code of Samiel, a rollback was necessary since the effect was mandatory. This could be easy if nothing important had happened, but also complicated if the rollback happened a turn later.
    Making it optional makes it trivial to judge when forgotten: the blood is not gained/the vampire does not unlock. This does not alter the power of cards (you can use it as many times as before), but will require players to be more careful when handling their effects.

b) Revealing cards
Some cards (listed below) that search your library or crypt for a specific type of cards were changed so that the card is revealed. This will avoid some genuine mistakes and make the game state easier to track.

c) Failing action vs ended action
For less disparity, some cards that were causing an action to end unsuccessfully before resolution now make it fail; if the action had resolved (e.g., it had been blocked), those cards make them end unsuccessfully. That way, the action has resolved in both cases.
    Actions that are ended are over: action modifiers and reactions cannot be played anymore.
    Actions that fail are similar to actions that have been blocked (notice that a blocked action fails) except that there is no blocker and no combat. Action modifiers and reaction can still be played, if their text does not refer to a blocked action (e.g., Freak Drive cannot be played at superior after a failed action since it was not blocked, and cannot be played at basic since the action was not successful)

d) Detailed card changes
Banshee Ironwail
Now inflicts aggravated damage on Kiasyd.

Cheat the Fate
The vampire unlocks as part of the resolution.

Code of Samiel
Gaining blood and unlocking are now optional.

Now inflicts aggravated damage on Kiasyd.

The location that is retrieved from the library is now revealed.

Draeven Softfoot
No longer has a reference to Cold iron cards.

Gift of Sleep
Now explicitly states the minion is not locked if blocking.

Great Symposium
The Kiasyd is now revealed.

Hide the Heart
The action now fails instead of being ended.

Joumlon’s Axe
Now inflicts aggravated damage on Kiasyd.

Lord of Serenity
Gaining blood is now optional.

Nahum Enosh
Gaining blood is now optional.

New Moon Sigil
The trait Moon sigil has been dropped.

Now inflicts aggravated damage on Kiasyd.

Safe Passage
Removed reference to powers.

Scarlet Lore
The minion card searched is now revealed.

Removed reference to the research area.

The unnamed
Gaining pool is now optional.